We conclude looking at the purposes of prayer by considering the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. The purposes of God in prayer as derived from Jesus’ instruction can be summarized as:
1 To reveal His Fatherhood: We are to acknowledge God as our Father;
2 To proclaim His holiness: We are to sanctify, i.e. separate His name from profane or common use, His name and proclaim His perfect holiness;
3 To affirm His plan for mankind: We are to ask that His kingdom come and His will be done in earth which includes us individually, in our community, in our city, state, and nation;
4 To establish Him as our source for our needs: We are to ask for His provision in meeting our daily needs;
5 To demonstrate His continuing love for us in our imperfection and to enable His community to operate without division: We are to seek forgiveness for transgressions while forgiving those who have offended us; and
6 To acknowledge God’s Sovereignty over evil: We are to ask for deliverance from evil.
Now, slowly read the Lord's Prayer thinking about each word. Be blessed from the teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Today, we conclude our study on the purpose of prayer. Every time I read what we call the "Lord's Prayer" I am amazed at its depth and content. It includes prayer acknowledging the holiness of God, the Sovereignty of God and the grace and mercy of God. Many great Christians have included a reading of the Lord's Prayer in their daily prayer time. John Wesley spent two hours daily in prayer, and commonly said that ‘God does nothing but in answer to prayer.’ Martin Luther said, ‘If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.’ Prayer is essential to the Christian life.
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